Herbert Mitgang (1920- ), author, editor, journalist, and motion-picture producer, was managing editor of the U.S. Army newspaper Stars and Stripes, during World War II. After his war service, he joined the New York Times as a copy editor and reviewer. He served as supervising editor of the Sunday Times drama section from 1955 to 1962, editorial writer and member of the editorial board from 1963 to 1964 and again from 1967 to 1976. From 1964 to 1967 he was assistant to the president and the executive editor of CBS News and produced several documentary films. He taught at City College in New York, was a visiting lecturer at Yale University and served as president of both the Authors' League and the Authors' Guild. Since 1976 Mitgang has been a cultural correspondent and book reviewer for the New York Times. In addition to his work at the Times and CBS, he has written articles, novels and biographies and has edited several books. Collection consists of correspondence, writings, files relating to publications, notes, clippings, photographs, motion pictures, recordings, videotapes, and memorabilia that document Mitgang's activities as a journalist, author, editor, and film producer. Papers include general correspondence, 1945-1979; New York Times editorial correspondence, 1970-1976; and correspondence concerning Authors' Guild, 1957-1979, Authors' League, 1962-1973, and Times Op-Ed page. Also, typescripts, notes, clippings, and other materials for his articles, reviews, biographies, novels, scripts, and other writings; and files, 1983-1988, collected by Mitgang for his book Dangerous Dossiers. Other items consist of photographs, notebooks, awards, teaching notes, clippings, Stars and Stripes scrapbook, cartoons, and memorabilia. Materials relating to his documentaries include scripts and notes, films, videotapes and audio recordings of programs produced for CBS News; these include documentaries on Carl Sandburg, Henry Moore, and Jimmy Walker, and interviews with David Ben-Gurion, Anthony Eden, Admiral Gene R. La Roque and Helen Wolff.

Biographical/historical information

Herbert Mitgang, author, editor, journalist and motion-picture producer was born on January 20, 1920 in New York City where he later attended St. John's College and Law School. During World War II he served as an army correspondent and became the managing editor of the Oran-Casablanca and Sicily editions of Stars and Stripes. After the war he joined the New York Times as a copy editor and reviewer. From 1955-62 he served as supervising editor of the drama section of the Sunday edition of the Times. He was an editorial writer and member of the editorial board of the Times in 1963-1964 and again in 1967-1976. From 1964 to 1967 Mitgang was assistant to the president and executive editor of CBS News during which time he produced several film documentaries including "Sandburg's Prairie Years", "Anthony Eden on Vietnam", and "D-Day Plus 20 Years". He also instructed evening classes in English at City College in 1948-1949 and was a visiting professor at Yale in 1975-1976. From 1948 to 1949 he was a member of the executive board of the Newspaper Guild of New York, CIO, and has been a long time-member and has served as president of both the Authors League and the Authors Guild. In addition to his career with the Times. Mitgang has contributed freelance articles to magazines, written several novels and biographies and has edited several books including the Letters of Carl Sandburg, Civilians Under Arms: Stars and Stripes Civil War to Korea, and Spectator of America

Scope and arrangement

The papers include general correspondence (1945-1977), correspondence and papers relating to the Authors Guild (1957-1959), the Authors League (1962-1973), and the New York Times Op-Ed Page and editorial board (1970-1976). There are also typescripts, notes and reviews of Mitgang's novels and biographies; a collection of articles, scripts, and films from his "CBS Reports" documentaries (1963-1965); miscellaneous articles, reviews, interviews and other papers dating from World War II to the present; and awards, accounts, scrapbooks and memorabilia. There are also photographs taken by Mitgang to illustrate his articles and interviews.

Included also are the following additions to the Herbert Mitgang Papers received in 1990 and in 1994-1995:

The additions received in 1990 (90M6) consist of general correspondence, notes, printed matter, photographs and cartoons, typescripts and proofs, and files collected by Mitgang for his book Dangerous Dossiers: Exposing the Secret War Against America's Greatest Authors.

The Dangerous Dossiers files, which make up the bulk of this addition, consist of Mitgang's correspondence (1983-1988) with the FBI and of copies (c1929-1981; bulk: 1940-1960) of FBI dossiers which Mitgang obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. A few files (as noted on the container list) contain letters from authors who were under investigation. The files are listed by name on the container list.

The general correspondence (one folder) which is with administrators of the Freedom of Information Act relates to requests for copies of FBI dossier files. The photographs which are standard publishers' publicity shots of authors, and the cartoons, which are in the form of photocopies or photostats, were collected by Mitgang for illustrating his book. The typescript is an original draft of Dangerous Dossiers. The proofs are corrected galleys for the book and for the segments of it which were published in The New Yorker magazine in the "Annals of Government" column under the title "Policing America's Authors".

The additions received in 1994 (94M34) and in 1995 (95M35) consist of Mitgang's writings; his research notes and papers; and audiotapes of his interviews with Helen Wolff and with Admiral Gene R. La Rocque. The writings consist of a corrected typescript of the introduction to Words Still Count with Me (New York and London, W. W. Norton, 1995) and corrected page proofs of the book; and a typescript of a biographical sketch of Helen Wolff which was published (Aug. 2, 1982) in the "Profiles" column of The New Yorker magazine.

The research notes and papers relate to Admiral Gene R. La Rocque and Helen Wolff. The papers relating to Admiral La Rocque consist of notes and transcripts of Mitgang's recorded interviews (March 14, and Dec. 1, 1984) with Admiral La Rocque; and biographical materials (mainly printed ephemera) relating to Admiral La Rocque. Included is a letter (TLS, 9 p.) from Admiral La Rocque to Mitgang.

The papers relating to Helen Wolff consist of notes and transcripts of Mitgang's recorded interviews (March 15 and April 5, 1981) with Helen Wolff; and correspondence relating to Helen and Kurt Wolff. Included are letters from Beatrice Flexner, Günter Grass, Uwe Johnson, William Jovanovich, Georges Simenon; and seven letters from Helen Wolff. There is also an undated memorandum (4 p.) by Helen Wolff relating to Pantheon Books and her editorial policy.

The audiotapes consist of 5 audiocassettes of Mitgang's interviews with Admiral Gene R. La Rocque conducted at New York University (3/14/84) and at Admiral La Rocque's residence in Washington, D. C. (12/1/84); and 5 audio cassettes of his interviews with Helen Wolff (3/15/81, 3/22/81, 4/5/81). Included also is one audiocassette of the House Budget Hearings in Washington, D. C. (3/29/85).

Included also are the following additions to the Herbert Mitgang Papers received in 1990 and in 1994-1995.